Some of you will be familiar with efforts that I and a number of colleagues in Ireland are making with regard to an American Civil War trail in Ireland, hopefully to be accompanied by some form of all-island memorial. For any of you interested in reading a little more about this project check out our dedicated site here. We decided that we should come up with a logo to give the plans a visual identity, and with this in mind we were fortunate to secure the services of Sara Nylund, who designed and created an image for us.

Irish American Civil War Trail Logo

It was important for us that the logo represented Irish who were based in both the Northern and Southern States, and we wanted to avoid the traditional stars and stripes/stars and bars approach. The result sees as its central theme the Maid of Erin harp, a motif common among Irish communities in the mid-nineteenth century, and one that was utilised on the banners of both Union and Confederate Irish units. The harp has 32 strings, one for each of the counties on the island of Ireland. A laurel of shamrocks is another contemporary device, and on the logo is used to wreath the harp; rather than green the shamrock is blue for the Union on one side and grey for the Confederacy on the other.

We are hopeful that people will respond positively to the logo, and that it will provide us with a further tool to enhance knowledge of Irish involvement in the American Civil War in Ireland. Let us know what you think, and make sure to check out www.irishacwtrail.com to find out more about what we are up to!

Very well done indeed, Damien. It brings back fond memories of the late and very much lamented Con Howard, proud Clareman and Ireland’s Cultural Attache at the embassy in Washington in the 1970’s and 80’s. Con understood the enormous value to Ireland today of making such connections, and he was organising a tour of the battlefields back in the late 1990’s IIRC. It might be worth contacting, at an appropriate time, the Cultural Section of the Promoting Ireland Abroad Division of the Department of Foreign Affairs. Tell ‘m Con sent ya, and I know I have his full authority to say that he will haunt them horribly if they do not fully support this venture :-) Beir Bua! Leo Enright

Hi Damian. Just to let you know that the town of Oldcastle in Meath is honoring Charles Grahame Halpine, Adj general of the 69th N.Y regiment next May. Born here in 1829 he was also a poet and politician. A memorial will be unveiled and a lecture given in the church where his father was curate.